President Barack Obama took his place at the podium outside the White House, looked down and then took the opportunity to celebrate the signature law of his presidency.

Immediately following the flopped launch of a federal website aimed at signing up millions of uninsured Americans, it appeared this day would never come for the law, which withstood Supreme Court scrutiny for its unpopular provision that requires people to purchase health insurance and brutal public relations assaults from Republicans. The technical issues, combined with the deep-seated opposition from Republican governors in charge of implementation, had led many to believe the GOP would rout Democrats in the 2014 midterm elections.